Violet Riding Hood

Chapter 11

Vallery had witnessed tragedies in her twenty years of life at Swordhorn, but nothing could have prepared her for the experience that she was enduring the morning after that terrible night...

"Father" she whispered, fighting to contain her tears- "Father, please..."

Carrow was sitting on his chair at the family table, crying and sobbing with his face buried in his hands. The aging man would shake with grief as he tried to grasp the fact that Susan would never return, that she was gone... The Wolf had killed his wife, and he had not been there to even try to defend her.

"We lost them" Vallery said, standing beside her father- "You still have me, and I still have you... Father, I made bread and tea for breakfast, please come- Grandmother shall arrive any moment..."

"Vallery, I should have b-been there" Carrow muttered, without uncovering his tearful face- "I should have protected you and your mother, but I am just a useless w-wreck!"

"No, father..."

"You w-would be better off without me!"

It was a dark Winter morning, suddenly cloudy even though the sky had been clear and starry the night before. The church bells had started to ring with the first beams of light, and probably the villagers were gathering to mourn, collect their dead and start the funerals that day...

Vallery did not know what to say to her heartbroken father, and then somebody knocked the door outside all of a sudden. She imagined that Grandmother Julie had finally arrived to provide the emotional support that they needed so badly, and she dashed to open the door as fast as she could.

"Grandmother!" Vallery said, but this turned out to be somebody else- "Oh, it's... You."

Catherine hurried to hug Vallery before she said anything, and Vallery hugged her back as she tried to conceal her alarm, disappointment and fear. After all, she had spent the night wrapped in terrible nightmares about Catherine transforming into a terrible black monster of glowing violet eyes...

The young Woodcutter woman was wearing again her usual black clothing, she carried her axe in her waist and her long, shiny black hair was covered by snowflakes that morning.

Catherine looked pale and scared, the fear visible in her otherwise beautiful blue eyes.

"I am so sorry, about your mother" Catherine sobbed, looking into Vallery's eyes- "I wanted to come sooner, but it's madness out there! The soldiers are questioning everyone again, there have been many arrests..."

"Catherine..."

"We have to abandon Swordhorn, before Sallyahel starts burning people at the stake" Catherine continued- "Vallery, get everything ready! Come away with me, I know the mountains..."

Vallery was frozen, and she remained as quiet as a statue after hearing those words. Catherine wanted to escape, to run away together... and that was exactly what the Wolf had asked her to do just a few hours ago, after having murdered her mother and so many others at the Square.

This could not be possible, but she realized now who the Wolf really was...

"Catherine" Vallery said, closing the door slowly- "Get away from me..."

"What?"

Catherine remained standing there for quite some time after Vallery closed the door in her face, and even though she considered the idea of knocking the door once again, she had realized that something had changed in her friend.

At that moment the Captain and a squadron showed up to question people left and right and Catherine, fearful of arrest, dashed and disappeared into a lonely street...